Time is one of the most valuable assets a person owns. Time relates to money, fun, pleasure and productivity. However, it is difficult to manage and control. Computers and other devices have provided many different ways to assist in time management.
However, most time management systems known in the art includes functionality to bill time, track time or alert a user of a event based on time. Most time management systems known in the art are static. Once a user sets up a time management system, there is no or very little interaction with a user. Such time management systems may alert a user to an appointment or deadline, but they are generally static in nature.
However, most time management systems do not encourage a user, don't hold a user accountable for how their time is spent, don't encourage or increase productivity, are not fun or interactive. This lowers the effectiveness of such time management systems.
There are also management systems that allow business practices and business objectives to be managed with a game. However, these management systems typically do not allow such business practices and business objectives to be managed based on real events or dates.
There have been attempts to solve some of the problems with time management. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,442,527, entitled “System and method for personalized and customized time management,” that issued to Worthington teaches “A method and system for organizing and planning various categories of events, tasks and long-term goals. The method and system generally include of providing at least one data module for generating data for a specific topic area of events and tasks; prompting a user to provide data based on the specific topic area of the one data module; categorizing the data inputted by the user into appointment data and task data; inputting the appointment data into a calendar framework; inputting the task data into a task list framework; and generating an output calendar and task list based on the calendar and task list frameworks.”
U.S. Published Patent Application No. 20020082889 entitled “System and method for project management and assessment,” published by Oliver teaches “The present invention provides a system (100) for monitoring and assessing the performance of a project, which system includes a computer (120) and a software program associated with the computer (120), with the software program and computer (120) operable in combination to receive project task data and earned value information from a project management software file, determine schedule recovery date information, and graphically displaying the schedule recovery date information. The present invention also provides a method for monitoring and assessing the performance of a project, which method includes obtaining the task data and earned value information from a project management software file; determining schedule recovery date information; and displaying schedule recovery date information.”
U.S. Published Patent Application No. 20020165753 entitled “System and method for personalized and customized time management,” published by Worthington teaches “The invention is directed to a method and system for organizing and planning various categories of events, tasks and long-term goals. The method generally includes the steps of providing at least one data module for generating data for a specific topic area of events and tasks; prompting a user to provide data based on the specific topic area of the one data module; categorizing the data inputted by the user into appointment data and task data; inputting the appointment data into a calendar framework; inputting the task data into a task list framework; and generating an output calendar and task list based on the calendar and task list frameworks. The system incorporates at least one data module for generating data for a specific category of events and tasks, means for inputting data from a user, means for processing the data inputted from the user for the data module, and means for generating an output calendar and task list. The data module includes means for prompting a user to provide data based on the specific category of events and tasks to which the data module is directed. The processing means includes means for categorizing the data inputted by the user into appointment data and task data, means for inputting the appointment data into a calendar framework, and means for inputting the task data into a task list framework.
U.S. Published Patent Application No. 20020178036 entitled “Project management method and project management system,” published by Murata et al. teaches “A method of managing a hierarchically structured project on a computer. The method defines each of subprojects composing the hierarchical structure, define each structure of the works composing each subproject, stores information about each work of the subproject, collects information about the corresponding works among the subprojects selected by the user as a compound work, and displays the information about the work on the compound-work basis.”
U.S. Published Patent Application No. 20020194046 entitled “Project management system for aiding users in attaining goals,” published by Sullivan et al teaches “The present invention is a project management method, system and software product for aiding a user in attaining goals. The system has a goal field for describing a goal, a plurality of obstacle fields for describing a plurality of obstacles to be overcome in attaining the goal, and a plurality of strategy fields for describing a plurality of strategies for overcoming the plurality of obstacles to achieve a result correlated with the goal. Each obstacle field in the plurality of obstacle fields is linked to the goal field, has a unique associated strategy field in the plurality of strategy fields, and is linked with the unique associated strategy field.”
U.S. Published Patent Application No. 20030069815 entitled “RFID time tracking,” published by Eisenberg, teaches “An improved method of keeping track of time is provided, and specifically an improved method of tracking the amount of time spent by an individual working on a project. The person scans an RFID tag associated with a file using an RFID reader, and a software program begins counting time and associating it with the matter with which the file is related. When the person scans the RFID tag again, the time is stopped, and the elapsed time is billed to a client in regard to the matter associated with the file.”
U.S. Published Patent Application No. 20030233268 entitled “Multi-dimensional interdependency based project management,” published by Taqbeem et al. teaches “An improved method is provided for managing a project. The method includes defining a project model that represents the project, where the project is comprised of a plurality of sub-projects, and each of the sub-projects is comprised of a plurality of tasks. Each task is assigned a responsible entity. The improved method further includes identifying interdependency data between the tasks, populating the project model with the interdependency data, and managing the project using the project model. The interdependency data is further defined as being an input requirement to complete a given task in a given sub-project, such that the input requirement is derived from another sub-project having a different responsible entity.”
U.S. Published Patent Application No. 20030236692 entitled “Project workforce management,” published by Hertel-Szabadi teaches “A project workforce management system defines project tasks, project positions, and assigns personnel to the project positions. The project tasks and project positions are correlated to assign a responsible project position or positions to complete each project task. Because each project position may be assigned to a specific person, the qualifications and availabilities of the person can be taken into account when determining the assignment. By correlating the project tasks and project positions, a manager can better control the assignment of the workforce and complete projects more efficiently.”
U.S. Published Patent Application No. 20040059622 entitled “Assisting people and computer programs with time and task management,” published by Mueller teaches “Disclosed is a method and system that automatically prompts a user or computer program for tasks, subtasks and supertasks of tasks, expected durations to complete tasks, deadlines, and priorities of the tasks. The invention automatically prompts the user or computer program at regular intervals for the current task and the percentage completion of the task, and sends the user or computer program a message to work on the task if the deadline has passed, informing the user or computer program it is taking longer on the task than the expected duration and in this case also sending the user or computer program a message to work on the supertask of the task, asking the user or computer program to wrap up the task if the task is near completion, and reminding the user or computer program to stay on task if the user or computer program is switching between tasks too quickly.”
U.S. Published Patent Application No. 20040210470 entitled “System and method for project management,” published by Rusk, teaches “Systems and methods applicable, for example, in project management. Provided operations include, for instance, operations regarding projects, tasks, subtasks, questions, attachments, users, and/or the like.”
U.S. Published Patent Application No. 20050021428 entitled “Time management system for mobile employees,” published by Costello teaches “The time management system for mobile employees is a telecommunications system allowing a company client to manage their off-site employees efficiently and effectively. Mobile employees, in communication with the system Web server via a cell phone or PDA, enter time transaction data using the mobile computing device's Web browser. Based upon the employee's predefined profile, custom Web pages are presented requesting employee specific time transaction information. Once received, time transaction data may be forwarded to the company client's computer directly or downloaded to client computers upon request or based upon a predetermined schedule. Having at least one Web server and application/database server, the system maintains employee data, client data, project data, and transaction data. The system protects against unauthorized access of data by having defined administrative user privileges.”
U.S. Published Patent Application No. 20050021429 entitled “Time recording and management system,” published by Bates teaches “A time entry recording and management system includes a plurality of fields, a selector and an actuator. The plurality of fields includes a date field configured to display a date, a start field configured to display a starting time of a time entry, a stop field configured to display an ending time of the time entry, a description field configured to display a description of the time entry, and at least one code or designation field configured to display a code or designation assigned to the time entry. The selector is movable between at least two of the plurality of fields. The actuator is configured to perform at least one of a plurality of functions upon being actuated depending upon in which of the plurality of fields the selector is located. The actuator is also configured to fill in at least two of the fields upon being actuated once in some instances.
U.S. Published Patent Application No. 20050049903 entitled “Method and system for computer aided management of time & financial data” published by Raja teaches “method and system for contract based finance and time management is disclosed. The system establishes contract and project guidelines, gathers expense data, gathers time data, analyzes expense and time data within contract and project guidelines, routes expense data and routes time data. The system provides an intuitive and simple interface for entry of time and expense data as well as simplifies managerial and accounting tasks.”
U.S. Published Patent Application No. 20050097505 entitled “Facilitation of multi-project management using critical chain methodology,” published by Gupta teaches “A method on a computer for providing critical chain-based project management across a plurality of projects is disclosed. The method includes generating a plurality of plans, each of the plurality of plans corresponding to one of the plurality of projects, wherein a project comprises at least one task. The method further includes generating buffers for each of the plurality of projects and reconciling project resources among the plurality of projects. The method further includes executing the plurality of project plans, including allowing a user to manage the buffers across the plurality of projects. The user is further provided with information associated with buffers for the plurality of projects, so as to evaluate the status of the plurality of projects. Additionally, the user is provided with task prioritization for any task of the plurality of projects, wherein task prioritization is calculated across the plurality of projects.”
However, these inventions still do not solve all of the problems associated with time management. It would thus be desirable to provide a time management system including game elements that make time management, business management or business objectives fun, interactive and allow a user's productivity to be tracked in a game framework.